Assembly Line

Coating and plating

A thin layer is added to a surface by dipping, spraying, rolling or electric current, to protect it or change how it looks and behaves.

173 lines that use it

Acoustic guitar 8 stations · 16 raw sources Action figure 7 stations · 22 raw sources Adhesive bandage 7 stations · 12 raw sources Airbag 8 stations · 25 raw sources Airliner 9 stations · 33 raw sources Aluminum can 6 stations · 17 raw sources Aluminum window frame 9 stations · 24 raw sources Asphalt shingle 5 stations · 14 raw sources Asthma inhaler 6 stations · 16 raw sources Balloon 8 stations · 3 raw sources Banknote 6 stations · 20 raw sources Barbed wire 7 stations · 13 raw sources Baseball bat 5 stations · 9 raw sources Bicycle 8 stations · 26 raw sources Blackboard chalk 6 stations · 9 raw sources Bolt 6 stations · 13 raw sources Brake pad 7 stations · 23 raw sources Bronze statue 7 stations · 9 raw sources Candy-coated chocolate 10 stations · 20 raw sources Canoe 7 stations · 13 raw sources Car 8 stations · 31 raw sources Car battery 6 stations · 8 raw sources Carbon fiber 6 stations · 4 raw sources Cast iron pan 6 stations · 11 raw sources Cello 10 stations · 13 raw sources Ceramic 6 stations · 4 raw sources Ceramic floor tile 6 stations · 19 raw sources Chain-link fence 8 stations · 15 raw sources Chess set 9 stations · 13 raw sources Chewing gum 8 stations · 13 raw sources Chicken nuggets 7 stations · 15 raw sources Chopsticks 6 stations · 10 raw sources Clear adhesive tape 6 stations · 9 raw sources Coffee mug 8 stations · 2 raw sources Coil spring 7 stations · 21 raw sources Compact disc 6 stations · 20 raw sources Condom 9 stations · 13 raw sources Container ship 9 stations · 23 raw sources Corn flakes 8 stations · 19 raw sources Cotton fabric 6 stations · 3 raw sources Cotton swab 6 stations · 19 raw sources Crackers 7 stations · 15 raw sources Dental floss 7 stations · 12 raw sources Die-cast toy car 8 stations · 24 raw sources Digital thermometer 7 stations · 26 raw sources Dinner plate 8 stations · 2 raw sources Dishwasher 11 stations · 27 raw sources Donut 6 stations · 20 raw sources Door hinge 7 stations · 18 raw sources Double-glazed window 6 stations · 18 raw sources Drum kit 8 stations · 19 raw sources Drumstick 8 stations · 8 raw sources Dumbbell 8 stations · 20 raw sources E-reader 6 stations · 30 raw sources Electric car 8 stations · 34 raw sources Electric guitar 8 stations · 22 raw sources Electric kettle 10 stations · 27 raw sources Electric motor 6 stations · 15 raw sources Envelope 6 stations · 18 raw sources Eyeglass lens 6 stations · 13 raw sources Facial tissue 6 stations · 17 raw sources Fashion doll 7 stations · 21 raw sources Faucet 11 stations · 23 raw sources Felt hat 8 stations · 10 raw sources Fiberglass 6 stations · 10 raw sources Fiberglass insulation 6 stations · 8 raw sources Fire extinguisher 8 stations · 27 raw sources Fish sticks 6 stations · 20 raw sources Fishing rod 8 stations · 24 raw sources Flute 9 stations · 12 raw sources Frozen pizza 8 stations · 16 raw sources Garden hose 6 stations · 18 raw sources Gas cylinder 10 stations · 25 raw sources Gelatin capsule 5 stations · 11 raw sources Glass bottle 8 stations · 11 raw sources Golf ball 8 stations · 21 raw sources Golf club 10 stations · 27 raw sources Granite countertop 6 stations · 1 raw source Hammer 8 stations · 21 raw sources Hard drive 6 stations · 27 raw sources Hardwood flooring 6 stations · 7 raw sources Heart stent 6 stations · 15 raw sources Hip implant 9 stations · 22 raw sources Honey 7 stations · 1 raw source Ibuprofen 5 stations · 2 raw sources Ice skates 8 stations · 22 raw sources Imitation crab 7 stations · 9 raw sources Jelly beans 6 stations · 7 raw sources Jigsaw puzzle 7 stations · 18 raw sources Key 6 stations · 13 raw sources Lacquer 8 stations · 8 raw sources Laminate flooring 6 stations · 19 raw sources Leather belt 10 stations · 28 raw sources LED 8 stations · 10 raw sources Licorice 6 stations · 10 raw sources Lipstick 7 stations · 13 raw sources Lithium-ion cell 10 stations · 23 raw sources Locomotive 8 stations · 28 raw sources Loudspeaker 10 stations · 19 raw sources Marshmallow 6 stations · 7 raw sources Match 5 stations · 9 raw sources Melamine resin 6 stations · 7 raw sources Microchip 8 stations · 15 raw sources Microwave oven 10 stations · 27 raw sources Mirror 5 stations · 28 raw sources Motorcycle 8 stations · 29 raw sources Nail 6 stations · 14 raw sources Neodymium magnet 8 stations · 6 raw sources Neon sign 9 stations · 24 raw sources Nitrile glove 8 stations · 17 raw sources Nonstick pan 7 stations · 10 raw sources Olympic-style medal 8 stations · 12 raw sources Optical fiber 6 stations · 12 raw sources Padlock 7 stations · 25 raw sources Paper 7 stations · 7 raw sources Paper cup 7 stations · 18 raw sources Pencil 8 stations · 24 raw sources Pinball machine 7 stations · 21 raw sources Playing cards 6 stations · 18 raw sources Porcelain 6 stations · 11 raw sources Potato chips 7 stations · 10 raw sources Pretzel 7 stations · 12 raw sources Printed circuit board 8 stations · 18 raw sources Raincoat 7 stations · 17 raw sources Rebar 6 stations · 14 raw sources Refrigerator 11 stations · 27 raw sources Roof tile 6 stations · 2 raw sources Safety pin 9 stations · 21 raw sources Sailboat 11 stations · 21 raw sources Sanitary pad 7 stations · 10 raw sources Saxophone 9 stations · 25 raw sources Scissors 8 stations · 22 raw sources Screw 7 stations · 13 raw sources Sewing needle 8 stations · 16 raw sources Sheet steel 7 stations · 13 raw sources Shipping container 8 stations · 23 raw sources Snow globe 9 stations · 26 raw sources Solar cell 5 stations · 15 raw sources Sprinkles 6 stations · 13 raw sources Stained glass 10 stations · 24 raw sources Stainless steel water bottle 7 stations · 25 raw sources Steel pipe 7 stations · 13 raw sources Sticky notes 7 stations · 18 raw sources Stoneware pottery 7 stations · 4 raw sources Subway train 8 stations · 27 raw sources Superabsorbent polymer 6 stations · 5 raw sources Suspension bridge cable 7 stations · 22 raw sources Tennis racket 9 stations · 25 raw sources Tin can 9 stations · 21 raw sources Tinplate 6 stations · 13 raw sources Tire 8 stations · 22 raw sources Titanium dioxide 6 stations · 6 raw sources Toilet 7 stations · 5 raw sources Trading cards 6 stations · 17 raw sources Treadmill 8 stations · 24 raw sources Trumpet 7 stations · 18 raw sources Turbine blade 8 stations · 20 raw sources Ukulele 9 stations · 11 raw sources Vacuum flask 6 stations · 19 raw sources Vinyl flooring 8 stations · 18 raw sources Vinyl record 9 stations · 24 raw sources Violin 8 stations · 13 raw sources Wallpaper 7 stations · 22 raw sources Washing machine 12 stations · 31 raw sources Water heater 6 stations · 24 raw sources Wet wipes 5 stations · 8 raw sources Wheelbarrow 9 stations · 23 raw sources Wine cork 8 stations · 11 raw sources Wire rope 6 stations · 12 raw sources Wooden chair 6 stations · 21 raw sources Wooden spoon 5 stations · 7 raw sources Wrench 9 stations · 20 raw sources Yoga mat 6 stations · 9 raw sources

What it looks like on the line

  • CondomDip the glass formers. Clean glass formers ride a continuous chain, often in double rows, down into a temperature-controlled tank. They rotate as they come up so the thin film spreads evenly. Ribbed or studded formers give textured styles.
  • KeyPlate it. A 1942 patent sends its stamped blank straight to plating once the slots are in. Finished keys commonly come as plated brass or nickel silver, and the blanks then ship uncut to locksmiths and hardware stores.
  • Action figurePaint the fine details. Copper spray masks, which work like stencils and must be cleaned every 10 uses, lay down color. Tampo machines add printed detail, and each layer has to be aligned by hand. Paint wiped over a sculpt fills the recesses in hair.
  • ScrewPlate against rust. Most screws receive a coating, commonly a zinc electroplate, before packing.
  • RaincoatSpray the outer repellent. A durable water-repellent finish is applied to the outer face so rain beads up and falls off instead of soaking in. Without it the face fabric wets out and the coat stops breathing.
  • Vinyl recordPlate it in nickel. The disc goes into a tank of dissolved nickel, and electric charge builds nickel up on the silver surface. The metal layer is then peeled off as a negative of the groove.
  • Golf clubPaint the logos and score lines. The logos and score lines are part of the original mold, but they must be colored in by hand before the head is ready to sell.
  • Garden hoseExtrude the outer cover. A second extruder wraps a layer of plastic over the braid. The cover has to bond with the tube through the gaps in the thread.
  • TireBrass-coat the steel cords. Steel cords get a thin layer of brass, which helps rubber stick to them. Rubber that lets go of its cords is a tire that comes apart.
  • UkuleleSpray the lacquer. Nitrocellulose lacquer is the finish of choice. Ukuleles get several coats with sanding between each one.
  • Double-glazed windowSeal the outer edge. A secondary seal of silicone or similar sealant is applied around the edge to hold the unit together and keep out water.
  • Jelly beansBuff with edible wax. Alternating coats of confectioner's glaze and carnauba wax, with beeswax sometimes used too, go into the pan with the finished beans. Tumbling spreads each into a thin layer that makes the shell glossy and keeps the beans from sticking together.